Improvement in portable book-clamps



WILLIAM of WATSON, or IA'IEIISON, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent llo.4 75,660, dated March 17, 1868i 4IISEIROVENINT INPORTABLE BOOK-GLAMPS.

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TOALL WIIOM IT MAY GONCERN:4

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WATSON, of Paterson, in the county ofPassaic, and State of New Jersey,-

have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Book-Clamps; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear,andex'act'description et' the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a portionvof4 this' specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side view of a book-clamp constructed according tomy invention. Figure 2 is a .transverse section ot` one portion of thesame. `Similar-letters of reference indicate eorrespondingparts in bothfigures.

This nventionrelates to that class ot' book-clamps in which the booksare clasped between two plates orA strips, tightened by a cord operatedby a windlass, and its object is to provide a cheap, simple, andconvenient device, whereby children may'v carry their school or otherbooks compact packages, and'whichl will not be liable to thoseobjections which in practice are found to exist in those clamps in whichthe axis of the windlass is at right angles t-o the clasping-plates. I

The invention consists in a handle, which constitutes a drum orwindlass, supported in bearings provided in one of `the clamping-strips,arranged parallel with such strip, and furnished with a pawl andratchet-wheel,

so combined with the otherclaspingstrip, and a suitable tightening-cord,as to eiectually secure the object mentioned. I

l To enable-others to understand the nature and construction of myinvention, I will proceed to describe it i with reference to thedrawings.

A represents that one of the clamping-strips which sustains 'the handle,drum, or roller` B, the ends of the said strip being turned up at rightangles to its main length, as shown at a, such ends a. being providedwith bearingsbr the. reception of the pivots b of the windlass justmentioned. C indicates another clamping-strip., in the ends ofwhich areformed holes, at a. Corresponding to these holes in the correspondingparts of the strip A, are similar holes at A tightening-cord, D, passesunderneath the: strip. C, and -upthrough the holes. a just described,with its ends attached to the end-portions ot' the windlass B, asshownin iig. 1, and in such manner-thatby turning the said windlass upon' itslongitudinal axis, `the cord may be wound upon or unwcund therefrom, asthe case may be, to bring the two clampingfstrips, A C, at a greater orless distance apart. ,i Attached to one end of the windlass is aAratchet-wheel, c, and pivotedto the adjacent end, a, of the strip A, isa pawl, d, working in connection with the aforesaid ra`tchet-wheel, tolretain the windlass in position.,

with any required proportion of the tightening-cord wound thereon. I l

t In using the clamp, the books laid one upon another are placed betweenthe two strips A C, as shown in red outline in iig. 1, and thewindlass Bis turned around to wind the cord thereon until the books are claspedtightly between the two strips, which,.being done, the pawl d, catchingin the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel @Aholds fast the windlass, and bypreventing any turning thereof, eiectually contines the books betweenthe two strips, whereupon the windlass maybe grasped by the hand, andthe books suspended therefrom may be v cry conveniently carried about. Ai I i In 4order to remove the books from the clamp, it is simplynecessary to move the pawl from the ratchetwheel, which being done, thestrips may be moved farther-apart, and the books may be taken out frombetween them.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,.is- The drumor windlass B,'supported in suitable bearings at c'ach endof the strip A, provided with a ratchetwheel, c, and pawl d, incombination with the strip C and cord D, substantially as and foithepurpose specified.

l i W. C. WATSON. Witnesses:

W. MORRIS SMITH, SYDNEY E; SMITH.

